As a little kid, we traveled five or more times a year. Some trips were short to moderate car rides. Other trips were transatlantic flights. There was one constant on all our family trips. My mother’s tartan holdall.

The bag was dark blue with a green and black checkered pattern. Tartan. Does anyone use the word tartan? Except when describing a kilt. The holdall was probably two feet long and one foot deep. No carrying strap just two short handles.

My mother's bag was not nearly so stylish as this bag

The bag must have weighed a ton. Think about it…it was the 70s…way before little kids carried all their stuff in backpacks. My mother was the designated hauler of all items needed on the trip. She dragged that tartan holdall across the Atlantic close to 15 times.

On a transatlantic, my mother’s tartan holdall contained:

• my dad’s book
• my mother’s book
• coloring books for my sister and I and of course, crayons…n0t the 64-pack, not even the 24-pack, but probably a pack of 8 crayons that we shared.
• a sleeping bag…invariably during a long flight one or both of us would lie across a row of seats…it was the days where flights were never full…especially transatlantic flights.
• a change of clothes for my sister and I…it was also the days of rough flights, rocky landings, hair-raising take offs. You know the air sickness bags? We always filled a bag or two on take and landing.
• and probably a bunch of other things.

I have no idea what happened to the tartan holdall. My kids have always carried their own backpacks. We never flew with any child under the age of three, but we did fly to Disney twice with a three-year-old. I let my kids carry anything they wanted in their backpacks as long as they could carry it. For the three-year-old’s, I packed a couple of board books, a sticker book, coloring book/crayons, and a stuffed animal or two.

I’d like to thank aerospace engineers everywhere for making passenger airline travel blissfully air-sickness bag free.

Lego Pirates of Caribbean Fountain of Youth

As a kid, I played Lego all the time. I remember creating an entire town of buildings, schools, offices, a zoo, a hospital, and even a police station. I played with this Lego “town” for years and years.  It was sadly dismantled on our family’s final move from New Jersey back to England.

How did I make this wondrous diorama? I created my town using a large piece of wall paneling, a roll of my dad’s drafting plans, a box full ‘o cars and trucks, a bin full ‘o assorted safari and farm animals, and of course a bin full of Lego.

Back in the day, I had more of the assorted bucket ‘o Lego than Lego kits. I recall receiving a Lego Lunar Module kit. The kit was easy to assemble until I had to place the body of the space craft on the 4 splindy, robot-like legs. I’m not sure if the Lunar Module every “stood up” but whether it stood up or not didn’t diminish the pride I took in creating my very own Lego creation.

My dad set the piece of wood paneling on a table. I purloined a large roll of drafting paper. I drew the outline of roads, train tracks, airport runways, homes, and buildings on the roll of paper. I created the buildings out of Lego to make a town infrastructure. Added people and animals to create a Lego Town.

This much played with toy structure playset was sadly unphotographed. You’ll have to take my word for it that I played with it fore years. Phooey on growing up in the pre-digital age where a roll of 24 films could last a year unless the roll was inserted in the camera on the first day of vacation.

Want to win a Lego set for your kids or grandkids? Or if you don’t have kids, donate what you win to Toys for Tots or a children’s charity. I’m giving away a very cute toy for preschoolers — Lego Duplo My First Fire Station. Head on over here and enter. Come back here to enter to win a Pirates of the Caribbean set for one lucky reader.

Winning is easy. First, leave a mandatory comment. Second, leave one or more of the optional comments. Remember, you must leave the mandatory comment for the other comments to count. Oh and don’t forget to leave your email address in the comment, so I can contact you if you win!

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What was your favorite Christmas gift as a child?

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I was provided with Lego Pirates of Caribbean Fountain of Youth set for this review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. Giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Giveaway ends Wednesday, December 21 at 11:59 p.m. Any links in this post are affiliate links to my amazon affiliate account.  I follow the tenets of Blog With Integrity.

“There’ll be a lot of kerfuffle.”

I remember like it was yesterday my grandmother warning me about an upcoming commotion or fuss or kerfuffle. She was all about anticipating potential disaster. I definitely inherited my “it will end in tears” attitude from my grandmother. Kerfuffle is one of those words I like to drop in to conversation every now and then. Like discombobulate. You have to love words like these.

A few Thursdays ago…Thanksgiving Day to be precise, we decided to seek out some good old commotion through good ole fashioned game playing. Our family of 5 is all about seizing family time. True some are more in to it than others, but a little game playing on a major holiday is always fun.

The game: Dicecapades! Kerfuffle!

The players: The Tween, The Kid, The Mom

The watchers: The Dad, The Grandfather

The nonwatchers: The Teen — curled up in bed reading a book, the Grandmother — popped in from time to time to watch the game.

The object of the game: In the game — Dicecapades! Kerfuffle! — players choose a color of dice. We had a minor squirmish or three over the color each person needed to have. Oy! Players roll their dice to create a pair, four of a kind, or a straight by lining the dice on the grid. But, there’s a catch…a twist if you will…

The catch AKA what will keep everyone playing a long time: Each player has to do something while taking their turn…like turn around three times in a circle, or jump up and down, or any number of crazy moves. The players liked doing the moves, but I have to tell you that the watchers had just as much fun watching everyone play the game. My FIL thought it was hilarious that The Kid had to run around in a circle while taking his turn.

The verdict: The game was a hit. Easy to play after an initial discussion about what was a straight, four of a kind, etc. We had never played a dice game before.

Would you like to win Dicecapades! Kerfuffle!? To win the game, leave a mandatory comment with your name and email, so that I can contact you if you win. For more chances to win, leave other comments. You must leave the mandatory comment to win. The giveaway ends December 19, 2011. The giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada only.

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I was sent Dicecapades! Kerfuffle! to facilitate my review. The views expressed in this post are my own. I follow the tenets of Blog With Integrity.

A week or so ago, I was invited to attend an event in D.C. Though I am quite happy to be a work-at-home mom every now and then I like to pretend that I am a professional working person. I dress for success. Leave my house early. Commute in to the city. After a few hours, I am good and ready to get home to my cozy, comfy clothes and my chilly, yet home-y home office.

AT&T was a sponsor of the Family Online Safety Institute annual conference. The Family Online Safety Institute or FOSI is the leading advocate for online safety. Like me, you are probably a strong advocate for making the internet a safe place for young and old. Truly, I could never have imagined the opportunities available to kids back when I was a mom of a newborn. Times have changed. That newborn is on the verge of turning 16. How on earth did that happen?

I attended Day 2 of FOSI. Here’s what I learned…

Frederick Lane — author of Cybertraps for the Young — is an attorney and computer forensics expert. He began his presentation by telling us what we all know to be true…that kids are now capable of doing things on the internet that they were once unable to do. A case in point, my oldest at 3 was able to use the computer if she sat on my lap. Many of the PC games were tough to play even with the mouse. My youngest at 3 was already playing Webkinz and other online games without help, but a whole lot of supervision from mom and dad.

Lane took us on a trip down memory lane when he reminded us that the devices of old were uni-purpose…typewriter, clock. Today’s kids are well versed in apps, smartphones, iTouch, iPad, and iPod, and other tablet devices. Lane, an attorney who specializes in computer forensics, explores the legal implications of online acts. What are the legal implications for kids, teens, and adults?

As a parent of 3 school-aged kids, I know all too well how damaging cyberbullying and cyberharassment can be. With the advent of mobile devices, kids can bully and be bullied from anywhere. I had heard about Phoebe Prince — in fact I saw Piers Morgan interview her mother last night, but I hadn’t heard about other victims like, Stephanie Burlingame from the U.K., Jeff Johnston from the U.S., Jesse Logan, Tyler Clemente from Rutgers University, or about perpetrators like, Eric Stenkel.

Lane explained that education is key, as well as observation and monitoring. As Lane put it supervision of your kid is not an invasion of privacy. Kids need to be taught how to become digital citizens. Parents, and teachers are their primary teachers.

Next up was a university lecturer from Bristol. Paul Howard-Jones’ voice reminded me of home. I’m originally from Manchester. Jones is a university professor and researcher on neurology. His site is http://www.neuroeducational.net.

Howard-Jones spoke on a topic near and dear to me — The Impacts of the Internet on the Brain. Haven’t you wondered what the effect of computer use will be for everyone down the road? 20 plus years ago, I had never heard of computers. Now I use a computer, laptop, or smartphone multiple times a day. All 3 of my children will more readily reach for an electronic device to answer a question than a book. Professor Howard-Jones talked about the elasticity of the brain. He explained that the brain will rewire for any thing we experience. Food for thought.

A recent social networking study found that social networks increases interaction and relationships. But, too much of anything is never a good. Howard-Jones explained that too much computer time leads to too little sleep. Ever see a teen or young adult texting in to the wee hours of the morning? We need sleep so that our brains can switch from encoding information to the consolidation of information acquired during the day. Teens who text at night are very likely to experience daytime sleepiness.

Of note…the AAP recommends 2 hours of screen for children. Are your children like mine? Depending on the day… one day my kids may spend a great deal of time staring at screens while the next day they are outside playing. Depends on the day.

Howard-Jones posited…are video games the environmental equivalent of Ritalin? Video games can be seen as “teachers.” Highly social games can teach empathy. As we know, violent video games can teach aggression.

So, the bottom line is…

• Excessive internet use, like any other activity that you do without taking consistent breaks, is not good for you.
• Excessive use can cause disrupted sleep.
• Violent games can cause kids and teens to exhibit aggressive tendencies.
• Practice moderation.
• Limit screen time for kids and teens. And for yourself!

After a tasty lunch, I chose one of the breakout sessions — Mom & Dad Bloggers Speak Out. My good friend, Leticia/@TechSavvyMama was one of the panelists. The panelists and audience agreed that parents need to be actively involved in their child’s online world. While teachers are there to assist parents, parents must be aware of what sites their children are visiting.

Seize teachable moments, like a Leticia’s suggestion of a dinner table conversation, to start a conversation. Get the ball rolling. Don’t be shy about asking kids to explain how a certain site or device works. Kids love to be the teacher. Chances are good that while you are chatting about your kid’s favorite app, you can talk to them about ways she can stay safe online.

One audience member likened the discussions between parent and child about online safety to the sex talk. You wouldn’t let a stranger give your child the sex talk, right? So why would you allow your child to play online without supervision? Of course, as your child ages you will want to pull back to give your tween and teen the space to make mistakes and learn from their mistakes. But, for the preschoolers and kids, you will want to begin by sitting beside them as they navigate the web through online games, apps, email, or text messaging. I’m starting that process with my youngest as we recently gave him an email address.

One of the audience members was from Club Penguin. He explained that Club Penguin will email parents if their child is cyberbullying or acting inappropriately online at CP. A colleague of mine, Mary Kay Hoal founded a site online where kids and tweens can be well, kids and tweens! No adults are allowed on Yoursphere.com. Parents are contacted if their child is not being a good digital citizen on Yoursphere.com. Mary Kay, an online safety and parenting advocate, shares her online safety tips, resources, and practical suggestions on her blog.

AT&T is committed to investing in safety and parental controls. To learn more about AT&T’s safety controls and initiatives, check out the AT&T Smart Controls page.

I was compensated by AT&T for attending FOSI — the Family Online Safety Institute annual conference. I was also given an AT&T Impulse 4G phone. The views expressed in this post are my own. I follow the tenets of Blog With Integrity.

I never had a backpack until I started college. Before college, I carried a satchel or a briefcase to school. My school required all items to be brown, so of course the briefcase was brown leather or more precisely brown pleather. I never got a new backpack each school year.

I recall having 3 school bags in 9 years of school. Previously, when I attended elementary school in England I probably had a backpack. I’m not sure what the backpack looked liked. My best guess would be plaid. I do remember getting a new lunchbox each year. You know the ones I mean, don’t you? Rectangular metal lunchboxes.

I had a plaid lunchbox of course. Another one was the Addams Family. I had maybe one other lunchbox in my early elementary school years. What was your favorite lunchbox?

But, back to backpacks. My kids get a new backpack about every 2 years. We used to do the new backpack every year until we had to buy several new backpacks midyear. After these unexpected mishaps — broken zips, torn plastic — we began to buy sturdier backpacks from Lands End or Nike. My daughters both used a Swiss Army Backpack from Costco for about 2 plus years each. In the end, the sheer load of books and notepads required of tweens and teens taxed the backpacks’ zips.

I’m sure I am not the only one who has unearthed a permission slip that was never turned in or found a flyer for an event that happened days ago. I have been known to get perturbed when I find important papers in the kids’ backpacks. How difficult is it for the kids to hand in forms or bring home forms to be?!?

My child’s school sent home this checklist for dealing with the “Backpack Black Hole.”

Tips for Helping Your Child Organize The Backpack

Each week parents should work with their child to:

1. Take everything out of the backpack
2. Organize binder(s) by putting papers in the correct sections
3. Read through any papers sent to you (fliers, etc.)
4. Throw away/recycle all trash
5. Check your child’s agenda book for HW from each class, missing work stamps, and notes from teacher.

In addition, children should be encouraged to write down all assignments in their agenda/calendar books.

What do you do to help your child stay organized at school?

The links in this post are to my amazon affiliate account. Photo credit: o5cm.

I posted about the new Duran Duran tour and album a few days ago. It got me reminiscing about the 80s.

I had a Duran Duran t-shirt at one time. My last DD t-shirt was purchased in the 80s and sadly even if it fit it would be faded and worn out. It might be stashed in my keepsake box. I keep a Rubbermaid tub of tees for that day when I (a) learn to use a sewing machine and (b) have time to make a quilt of my tees from the 80s, vacations, concerts, and even a couple from the 70s. Until then I have a tub of tees collecting dust!

I bought the tee at my first large arena concert. I saw Duran Duran at the Philadelphia Spectrum with my friend, jeff, a fellow English New Waver. I remember how in awe I was of the stage show and pyrotechnics. The stage show would be tame by today’s standards, but in the 80s it was high tech.

Duran Duran was my second concert, but first concert at a large arena. Even though I was born and raised in England (Manchester to be precise) I had not attended a concert until I saw the B-52s on my college campus. I remember thinking that the B-52s was a loud concert until I saw Duran Duran. Duran Duran is back with a new album — All You Need Is Now — and an upcoming concert tour.

Back when DD was hot, I was a sophomore at small liberal arts college in PA. As you can imagine, English New Wave music wasn’t exactly streaming out of the speakers in college dorm rooms. Heavy metal and Grateful Dead were more the music of choice back in 83-87! I had a radio show on the college radio station where I ONLY played English music…my listenership was small, but devoted .

I was a devoted fan back then. I went all out to get my music on the airwaves. I was in the know about music and pop culture in the same way that I am in the know about blogging and brand promotion. Back then, my mother would buy 7″ singles (records) of the groups I loved and send the singles packed between steel baking trays to me at college.

I can only imagine how out-of-place my very English mother must have looked browsing the racks at HMV or Virgin Records for the latest singles. I would “premiere” these new singles from groups like Duran Duran, The Thompson Twins, The Cure, The Smiths, and many other groups on my radio show.

My radio show was titled “Technical Difficulties” for a reason…I once locked myself out of the studio. The record played on and on and on until security arrived with the master key. Remember it was the days of records so skips and scrapes were an integral part of my show. Oh and I once put a PSA in the 8-track-like PSA player only to have the machine eat the PSA. The PSA as played to my listeners sounded like the adults on the Peanuts…Waaa, Waaah, Waaaahhh!

The links in this post are to my amazon affiliate account. To join PopSalad…it’s in beta…click here.

As a new, fresh off the boat…uh plane…from England college freshman, I had 3 cassette tapes. I’ll let that sink in. Cassette tapes. Not CDs. Not digital downloads. Not ipods or itouches, but good old-fashioned cassette tapes. Back home in England, I even had a record player. Ahh…the 80s.

My beloved but tiny music collection consisted of a double cassette tape of Simon & Garfunkel in the Park — to this day I have no idea why I bought this; Wham first album, and Duran Duran’s Rio. I played Duran Duran over and over again on my Sony Walkman…think ipod for the 80s but much heavier and clunkier. My Sony Walkman even had a shoulder strap!

I’m nothing if not a child of the 80s. Last week I had a brush with the 80s in the form of the PopSalad peeps at BlogHer. PopSalad is a new site…in beta…which is all about being in the know about pop culture. Ahem that would be me! I’m all about TMZ, the Real Housewives of Wherever, and People Magazine. Call me shallow if you want, but I thrive on getting the scoop. Popsalad is all about contests, scoop, and who’s hot. To get on the list for the beta of PopSalad use my link.

But, back to the hot topic of the 80s…Duran Duran. Duran Duran have a new album out — “All You Need Is Now” and an upcoming North American tour.  In the 80s I saw Duran Duran twice. Awesome concerts! So, keep on top of all that is hip and happening — why yes the 80s are still hip! — by joining PopSalad.

I voted for Team Orange…but Team Pink won. I need to find my pic. I think I posed with Justin or maybe it was Robert? Links go to my amazon affiliate account.

I don’t have time to post, but I wanted to embed the code for the Shutterfly.com I made for my mother as a belated  birthday gift.

Click here to view this photo book larger

I know she will love it!

Do you ever tweet something funny or crazy or ridiculous and think “I wish I could keep a record”? I know I do. In fact I’m a much more consistent tweeter than blogger. Why is this?

I think primarily the reason I blog less than I tweet or Facebook is the pressure to blog. First, I have to title my blog post with a clever or funny or SEO-friendly title. Not easy. Writing a title that sums up your post is tricky at worst and downright satisfying at best. Next, comes the writing. Oy on the writer’s block. Eeek on the repetitive or mundane language. Oh no on the technicalities. Even after I have created a title and written the post I can get caught up in adding links and photos. The whole process of blogging can be tedious and time consuming. Writing a tweet is a breeze compared to writing a post.

Even if I have a story to share about a funny anecdote or odd set of circumstances that happened in our family once I set about writing a blogpost I can get bogged down. Before you know it the anecdote doesn’t seem that funny AND my post languishes in the draft status forever. Enter Bnter.com.

On Bnter.com I was able to record funny things my children said.,,and I said a few one-liners that needed to be recorded. I also added a couple of conversations I had with myself. Funnily enough I’m quite chatty with myself. Who knew?

Over the years I have accumulated a variety of methods for recording funny phrases the children have said…wall calendars, online calendars, baby books, mom journals, scraps of paper, and envelopes. While I have good intentions to record the information, I have not scrapbooked in a few years. On Bnter.com I can record the phrases and funny jokes that my children say until I am ready to scrapbook or add the quotes to a video. Just posted a funny quote from my son about the GPS.

I have a task for you. Think back on the weekend. What did your kids say that was really funny, or sad, or just odd? If your child is a toddler the phrases are well worth recording. But, don’t forget about the kids, tweens, and teens. When you recall what your child said, head over to Bnter.com and enter the quote. My teen is largely quiet but from time to time will come out with a phrase or a mangling of a word that is hilarious.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of the Bnter Campaign and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.